Tilting table for sheet mills



March 27, 1934. c. L. TAYLOR T'ILTING TABLE FOR SHEETMILLS 1951 4 SheetsSheet 1 Filed Sept. 22

INVENTOR March 2?, 1934 c; L. TAYLOR 1,952,392

TILTING TABLE FOR SHEET MILLS 1953, 4 Smeis-Sheet 2 A TTORNEYS INVENTOR. ('iarmce'l. 7&1 Zor 4 Sheets-Sheet s c. L, TAYLOR TILTING TABLE FOR SHEET MILLS Filed Sept.

/ I ATTORNEYS March 27, 1934.

I March 27, 1934. Q TAYLOR TILTING TABLE FOR SHEET MILLS Filed Sept. 22, 1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR. CZar-ence L Tayior l M 2 U AY TORIfI ZS- Patented Mar. 27, 1934 STATES PATENT OFFICE it can. (cite-n) L This invention relating as indicated to tilting tables for sheet mills, has particular reference to a form of construction adapted to be placed in juxtaposition to a common form of rolling mill for the purpose of handling the sheets adjacent such mill.

As is well known to those familiar with the art, it is usual to provide a pair of tilting tables on opposite sides of the mill stand for the purpose of receiving the sheets as they are discharged from the mill and to return the same over the mill to the forward side thereof to receive an additional pass in the rolling operation. There are numerous characteristics which any form of tilting table construction should possess in order to emciently perform the function for which the same has been designed. i

It is among the objects of my invention to provide a form of tilting table construction of the class described which shall be capable of eiflciently performing all of the functipns of such constructions. A further object of my invention is to provide a form of construction which shall be capable of being moved out of the way sufflciently to permit ready access to the rolls of the mill fdr dressing, polishing, heating, etc., without materially disturbing the placementof such apparatus adjacent-the mill.

Another ,object of my invention is to provide a form of tilting ,table construction which, during its operation, receives the pack or sheet from the mill, automatically aligns the same with respect to the desired path of travel of such pack or sheet preparatory to reversing the direction of travel thereof, and passing the same back over the mill to the receiving side of the rolls. Other objects of my invention will appear as the description proceeds.

To the accomplishment of the foregoing and to related ends, said invention, then, consists of the means'hereinaiter fully described and particularly-pointed out in the claims.

The annexed drawings and the following description set forth in detail certain mechanism 45 embodying the invention, such disclosed means constituting,.however, but one oi'varlous mechanical forms in which the-principle oi the invention may be used. I

In said annexed drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side elevational view of a. rolling mill showing the apparatus comprising my invention associated therewith; Fig. 2 is a plan view of a portion of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 1; Fig. 3 is an enlarged plan view of the tilting 55 table portion 01 the structure illustrated in Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a. fragmentary side elevational view of the table structure illustrated in the previous figures showing in detail the means for oscillatably supporting the same; Fig. 5 is afragmentary transverse sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 2 taken on a plan substantially indicated by the line 5-5; Fig. 6 is a transverse sectional view of the apparatus illustrated in Fig. 3 taken on a plane substantially indicated by the line 66; Fig. 7 is a fragmentary sectional view of a portion of the tilting table construction illustrated in the previous figures showing in detail the actuating mechanism for the side guides thereof, said figure as arranged on the drawings being a bottom view partially in section of a portion of the apparatus as it is illustrated in Figure 3; and Figure 8 is a side elevation of the lever arm and itsassociated cam for actuating the side guides on the tilting table.

v Referring now more specifically to the drawings, and more especially to Fig. 1, the apparatus presently to be described and comprising my invention is shown associated with a rolling mill generally indicated at 1 which consists of a housing 2, an upper roll 3 and a lower roll 4. It will be 30 noted that in this figure the mill is of the twohigh type, it being understood, however, that the apparatus comprising my invention may be employed with a mill having any of the usual num= ber of rolls. 35

Referring now more particularly to Figs. 1 and 2, it will be noted that the apparatus comprising my invention is supported on a suitable base 5 which may be carried by beams 6 positioned adjacent the mill, such beams preferably be'ing po-' sitioned adjacent apit 7 into which one end of the tilting table presently to be described may swing. The base 5 has mounted thereon a motor 8 which is of the usual design and which may have an electro-magnetic brake 9 associated therewith for the purpose for which such brakes, are usually designed. S'milarly mounted on the base 5 is a gear reduction unit generally indicated at 10 which includes a-gear 11' which meshes with and is driven by a pinion 12 secured to and driven by the armature shaft of the motor 8. The shaft plained, removably secured to means associated with the tilting table for the purpose of reciproeating the same.

The tilting table proper, which is actuated by the connecting rod 14, consists of a frame 15 which is mounted on ahollow shaft 16 and thereby pivotally supported in suitable' bearings l? and 16 carried by a bracket 19 forming a portion of the base 5 of the apparatus. The frame member 15 has longitudinally extendng substantially parallel channel-shaped members 20 associated therewith which are intermediately of their ends cross-braced by members such as 21. Rotatably supported at opposite ends of the side frame members 20 and extending transversely thereof are shafts 22 and 23, the former each carrying a pair of axially spaced sprocket wheels 24 about which endless conveyor chains 25 are trained. The conveyor chains 25 are provided with rollers 26, which, bearing on tracks 27 provided there= for, support the chain in its travel about the table.- It will be notedfrom Figs. 5 and 6 that the upper runs of the chains 25 are carried in channel-shaped members 28 secured to the upper leg of the channel-shaped side frame members 2c and the lower runs of such chains are carried in the lower leg of such channel members.

The shaft 23 carrying one pair of sprockets 2d at one end of the table also carries a driving sprocket 29 about which is trained a driving chain 36. The chain 30 is driven by the apparatus which will now be described.

The base 5, as most clearly illustrated in Figs.

.2 and 5, carries a second motor 31 which is of the usual design and which. is, tl'irough the medium of a coupling 32, connected to a shaft 33 which extends axially of the hollow shaft 16 upon which the tilting table is supported. The shafttd at its opposite end 3% is supported in suitable bear ings 35 carried by a housing member 36. The housing member 36 is at its inner end. provided with a radially extending annular flange 3? which is engaged and supported by a complementary removable portion 38 carried by the frame 15 of the table. The membertd is preferably split in half to facilitate the assembly of the apparatus. The housing 35 carries a depending portion 39 in which is mounted a shaft to on. which is journailed a gear d2 having an extended boss 4:1 with bearings tax The gear d2 meshes with a pinion d3 keyed to the drive shaft 33 and a sprocket wheel 44. is keyed to the extension '41 of the gear 12. A chain 50 is trained about the sprocket wheels 29 and A suitable aperture is of course provided in the housing 36 to permit the chain 30 to move about the sprocket i The housing 36 is provided with a projecting arm which is engaged by a screw 55 carried in a bracket l? which is secured rigidly with respect to the frame 15 oi the table. The screw 46 is provided for the-purpose of moving the arm 45 relatively to the bracket 41-? so that the housing 36 is rotated about the axis of the shaft 33. Rotation of the housing 36, which is made possible by virtue of the fact that it is supported by the complementary annular flanged members 3'? and 318, permits the proper adjustment of the distance between the centers of the sprockets 26 and 4A to compensate for differences in length of the chain 36.

The frame 15 forming a portion of the tilting table has a depending bracket 48 which rotatably supports a stub shaft 59. The stub shaft 49 is terminally provided with a coniform gudgeon 5c reaasea with respect to the mill may be accurately adjusted. Rotation of the shaft 49 is efiected by means of a pinion 52 carried by such shaft which meshes with a worm screw 53 rotatably supported in the bracket 48.

The crank arm 14 is removably secured to the gudgeon by means of a plate 51 which is oscillatably supported on a stub shaft 55 carried by the bracket 4.8. The plate 54, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 4, is provided with a manipulating handle 56 by means of which the same may be rotated about the shaft 55 into and out of engagement with the bearing 51 and the gudgeon 50. The casing around the gudgeon 50 is at its lower portion provided with a groove 5'? into which a lip 58 on the edge of the plate 54 moves to laterally support the lower edge or" such plate. The plate 54 also carries a cam projection 59 adapted to be engaged by a latch 60 which is pivotally mounted on a pin 61 carried by the bracket 48 This latch is provided for the purpose of maintaining the plate 51 in the dotted line position generally indicated at 62 in Fig. 4. When the plate 5% is moved to the dotted line position 62, then the connecting rod 14 may be moved axially oil from the gudgeon 50 and permitted to rest on. a bracket 63 provided therefor on the edge of the base 5. When the arm 14 is so disconnected, then the entire tilting table may be swung into the substantially vertical position indicated by dotted lines at 6 2 in Hg. 1 without disturbing any of the rest of the table actuating mechanism.

The tilting table previously described is pro-- vided with side boards or guides 65 and 66, most clearly illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6. The side guides 65 and 66 are preferably in channel form and arranged back to back and are respectively supported by means of arms 67 and 68.

Extending longitudinally of the table, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 3, and journalled in the cross brace members 21, are shafts 69 and 7d. The shaft 69 has keyed thereto crank arm 71 and rotatably supports crank arm 72, which arms are. respectively oscillatably secured at their opposite ends to guide supporting arms 6? and 68, and the shaft to has keyed thereto crank arm 74 and rotatably supports crank arm 73, such arms being respectively oscillatably secured at their opposite ends to guide supporting arms 68 and 67.

The shafts 69 and '70 have also keyed thereto crank arms 75 and 76 respectively, which are interconnected by means of a link 77. 'h'retractile spring 78 is at its opposite ends secured to arms 71' and 7% for the purpose hereinafter more fully explained.

From, the above description it will be noted that upon rotation of one of the shafts 69 or 70 a rotation of the crank arms keyed thereto will be efiected accordingly and these crank arms will respectively cause a lateral movement of the side guides 65 and 66 relatively to the side frame members 20. The spring 78 normally urges the side guides 65 and 66 toward each other and into engagement with the sides of the sheet or pack carried on the table by the chains 26.

Actuation of the side guides 65 and 66 may be efiected manually by simply pulling laterally on one or the other of these guides. The crank arms adapted toreceive the conifqrm bearing 51 carhy which the guides are supported on the shafts ried by the terminal of the connecting arm 14. The axis of the gudgeon 50 is eccentric with re-= .spect to the axis of the shaft 49 so that as the shaft is rotated the position of the tilting table 69and 70 and the links which interconnect such shafts will, when one guide is moved laterally, cause an equal and opposite movement of the other guide. During the normal operation of the lot 2 above described apparatus, as the table is tilted from the receiving to the discharging position the side guides will be actuated by the mechanism most clearly illustrated in Figs. 3 and '7.

Referring now more specifically to these Figsit will be noted that one of the shafts, particularly shaft 69, has acollar '79 slidably keyed thereto, which collar may be actuated by means of a hand lever pivotally supported intermediate of its ends on a bracket 81 and projecting laterally in a handle 82 from the side of the table.

The collar 79 is one portion of a clutch generally indicated at 83, the other member 84 of which is rotatably supported by means of a bearing 85 on the shaft 69 and carries a. bevel gear 86. The bevel gear 86 is in mesh with a segmental bevel pinion 8'7 which is keyed to a shaft 89 rotatably supported transversely of the table. The shaft 89 at one outer end 90 has keyed thereto an arm 91 which terminally carries a cam roller 92 mounted on a shaft 93.

The cam roller 92, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, rides on the surface of a cam 94, which is supported on a suitable bracket carried by the frame 5 of the machine. The cam 94 has high points 95 and 96 and an intermediate'low point 9'7. When the lever 82 is moved so as to effect driving communication between the collar 79 and the bevel gear 86, and accordingly between the shaft 69 and the arm 91, the spring '78 urging the guides 65 and 66 toward each other will likewise urge a rotation of the shaft 69 and accordingly likewise the shaft '70 to thus force the roller carried by the arm 91 on to the cam 94.

The operation, of the above form of tilting table construction may be briefly described as follows:

As most clearly illustrated in Fig. l, a separate tilting table will preferably be employed on each side of the .mill 1. Considering now that the rotation of the rolls 3 and 4 is as indicated by the arrows on Fig. 1, the table positioned at the left side of the mill will be for the purpose of receiving the pack or sheet and feeding the same into the bite of the rolls, and the table on the right side of the mill will be for the purpose of receiving the rolled sheet or pack and if the same has not as yet reached the desired length, return the same to the front side of the mill for the subsequent pass. The two tables will be electrically interconnected so as to simultaneously move from the full lined position illustrated in Fig. 1 to the dotted line inclined position illustrated in the same figure. The oscillation of the tables which occurs about the axis of the shafts l6 and 33 is efiected. by the motors 8 driving the gears 11 which in turn cause a. rotation of the cranks 13 and accordingly a reciprocation of the connecting arms 14. Suitable limit switches will be provided which will cause energization and de-energization of the motors 8 so as to properly govern the limits of travel of the ends of the table-which are presented to the working rolls of the mill. The electromagnetic brakes 9 associated with the motors 8 likewise assist in bringing the table to rest at the proper position. As previously indicated, the tables may be adjusted relatively to the mill by means of the adjusting screws 53 which afford a micrometer adjustment which might not be capable of attainment by shortening or lengthening the connecting rods 14 although this latter expedient may be employed for the purpose of effecting coarse adjustments of the table with respect to the 'mill.

sheets or packs on the table must move such sheets or packs on to and off from the table at the same end, the direction of rotation of the armature of the motor 31 must of course be reversed to effect such reversals of direction of movement of the sheet or pack engaging portions of the chain 26.

The operation of the means for manipulating the side guides 65 and 66 is briefly as follows:

Considering for instance the table positioned at the right of the mill, as illustrated in Fig. 1, when such table is in the full line position, i. e., in position to receive a sheet or pack which will be passed through the rolls 3 and 4 by means of the table on the opposite side of the mill, the cam roller 92 will ride on the high part of the cam 94. This means that the arm 91 has been rotated sufliciently to cause a rotation of the shaft 69 to effect a separation of the side guides 65 and 66. The distance between the guides 65 and 66 may be adjusted by de-clutching the collar '79 and the pinion 86 and then adjusting the guides to the desired distance before the clutch is again engaged.

After the sheet or pack has been discharged from the rolls 3 and 4 and moved back onto the table at the right side of the mill, a suitable limit switch will cause anenergization of the motor 8 to move the table to the dotted inclined position preparatory to moving the sheet or pack across the mill to the front side thereof. As the table moves through the horizontal position on its way to the upwardly inclined position, the cam roller 92 will ride .into the depression 9'7 on the cam 94 permitting the spring '78 to pull the guides 65 and 66 together and into engagement with the sides of the sheet or pack on the table. This inward movement of the guides centers the pack on the table and simultaneously aligns the same so that it will pass back over the top roll without striking the side of the housings.

As. the table moves from the horizontal to the dotted inclined position, the roller 92 will again ride up onto the high point 96 of the cam 94 so that the guides 65 and 66 will be spread apart to permit the sheet or pack on the table to pass freely over to the forward side of the mill.

After the pack or sheet is moved to the front side of the mill the table at'the left of the mill will be depressed to present such sheet or pack to the bite of the rolls for a subsequent rolling pass.

As previously indicated, one of the desirable features of the described form of tilting table construction is that the supporting means for the table, as most clearly illustrated in Fig. 1, i. e., the base 5 and its associated mechanism, is disposed entirely along one side of the table so that the tilting portion of the apparatus may be easily moved into a substantially vertical position, as illustrated at 64 in Fig. l, to permit ready access to the rolls 3 and 4 of the mill for the purpose'of polishing and heating the same so that these operations may be carried on without materially disturbing the tilting table construction. The entire mechanism may be readily picked up and moved into and out of position on the supporting beams 6 by crane chains secured to arms 98 which preferably project from the corners of the base 5.

A further description of the apparatus compr sing my invention is believed unnecessary for those familiar with the art. A number of the details of the construction of my apparatus have not been shown 01. described in minute detail a1. rename for the reason that it is believed the construcw tion and operation of such details are suficient= ly familiar to those versed in the art so that it is not necessary to further complicate the illustration and description of my invention.

Other modes of applying the principle of my invention may be employed instead of the one explained, change being made as regards the mechanism'herein disclosed, provided the means stated by any of the following claims or the equivalent of such stated means be employed.

1, therefore, particularly point out and distinctly claim as my invention:

1. In a tilting table, the combination of a frame supported for oscillation about an axis extending transversely of the table, shafts on opposiw endsof said frame, sprockets on said shafts, conveyor chains trained about said sprockets, a driven shaft concentric with the axis of oscillation of said table, a housing member about one end of said shaft, a shaft suppormd by said housing, meshing gears on said shafts, means for adjustably supporting said housing relatively to said frame, and means .drivably connecting said last named shaft and said conveyor chains.

2. A tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base, a frame arranged substantially entirely on one side of said base and entirely supported thereby for oscillation about, an axis extending transversely of said frame, a reversible conveyor on said frame, and means supported entirely on said base for driving said conveyor. I

3. A tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base, a frame arranged substantially entirely on one side of said base comprising a supporting base, a frame arranged substantially entirely on one side of said base and entirely supported thereby for oscillation about an axis extending transversely of said frame, a reversible conveyor on said frame, and means supported entirely on said base for oscillating said conveyor and driving said conveyor. 4 5. A- tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base, a frame supported entirely on said base for oscillation aboutran axis extending transversely thereof, said frame arranged substantially entirely on one side of said base whereby said frame may be moved to a substantially vertical position, a reversible conveyor on said frame, and means supported entirely on said base for driving said conveyor.

6. A tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base, a frame supported entirely on said base for oscillation about an axis extending transversely thereof, said frame arranged substantially entirely on one side of said base whereby said frame may be moved to a substantially vertical position, a reversible conveyor on said frame, and'means supported entirely on said base for oscillating said frame.

7. A tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base,'a frame supported entirely on said base for oscillation about an axis extending transversely thereof, said frame ar ranged substantially entirely on one side of said base whereby said frame may be moved to a substantially vertical position, a reversible conveyor on said frame, and means supported entirely on said frame for oscillating said frame and driving said conveyor.

8. A tilting table for use with rolling mills,

comprising a supporting base unit, a tiltable con-= opposite movement of the other, a guide actuating arm connected with said guide connecting means, a fixedly supported cam. adapted to be engaged by said arm, and spring means urging said guides toward each other and said arm onto the face-of said cam.

9. A tilting table for use with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base unit, a tiltable conveyor table supported on said base, relatively movable side guides associated with said conveyor table, links interconnecting said guides whereby said guides may be moved equally in opposite directions, an actuating arm connected with said links, a fixedly supported cam member, spring means urging said guides toward each other and said arm onto the face of said cam, and an -ad-.

justable connection between said arm and links whereby the distance between said guides may be determined for a given position of said arm 0 said cam face.

10. A tilting table for use .with rolling mills, comprising a supporting base unit, a tiltable frame supported entirely on said base and at substantially entirely one side thereof, a reversible conveyor carried by said frame, means supported entirely on said base for oscillating said frame and driving said conveyor, relatively movable side guides supported on said frame adjacent opposite'sides of said conveyor, links intercon-' meeting said guides whereby movement of one of said guides moves the other equally in an opposite direction, an actuating arm connected with said links, a fixedly supported cam member so positioned that said arm will be moved over the face {thereof as said frame is oscillated, and spring means urging said guides toward each other and said arm onto the face of said cam. 

